A new generation of family shareholders is advocating a more proactive approach to corporate social responsibility (CSR), in particular by pushing their companies to adopt a raison d’être. This requires an alignment of visions across the company. Professor Miruna Radu-Lefebvre of Audencia explores the challenges involved in this process. Faced with increasing demands from consumers and civil society, companies have realised that they need to take a more proactive approach to corporate responsibility. In fact, many family businesses have taken active steps to commit to building a sustainable future and making CSR part of their DNA. With a model favouring responsible ownership and long-term performance, these family businesses are concerned about the environment, their employees, and their customers. And now, the arrival of new generations of younger family shareholders is accelerating this process. “The new generations of family business shareholders are concerned about preserving the identity of the business”, says Johan Gaulin, EY partner in charge of the family business market in France. “This new generation is clearly pushing to accelerate the transformation of family businesses in terms of social responsibility.” Among other things, they are seeking to reduce their business’ impact on the environment and enhance the wellbeing of their employees. They also want to promote diversity and strengthen ties with their clients. This new breed of shareholders is also exploring new ways of working as well as new governance styles. This underlying trend is in line with the notion of long-term value, which will be the challenge of the years to come. Raison D’être And Intergenerational Dialogue A growing number of companies are mobilising to find the unifying elements of strategy, business, and sustainable development, under the demanding eye of these young family business shareholders. Unsurprisingly, the raison d’être appears to be the backbone that gives meaning and strength to the two pillars of the company – the executive board and the shareholders. Working on a project, a mission or a vision is essential to make tangible and intangible capital grow and pass it on to the next generation. Family businesses and entrepreneurs questioning their contribution to the world are at the heart of the discourse. The definition of a family business’ raison d’être requires a real dialogue between parties, to ensure that it is more than just rhetoric. Without unity and an aligned vision among family business shareholders, a company runs the risk of ending up with a rather disappointing raison d’être, which could even block future developments and growth. This alignment is all the more necessary if the raison d’être is written into the Articles of Association of the Company, as it then acts as a strategic filter that guides the decisions of the Board of Directors. The decision to include the raison d’être in the company’s Articles of Association must therefore be carefully considered to ensure that the family’s vision and the company’s strategy are aligned and that the necessary resources will be made available. Becoming A Mission-Driven Company? Some large family businesses have gone even further by becoming ‘mission-oriented’ companies. Nowadays, companies can change their corporate purpose by adding a raison d’être – the formulation of their mission as well as quantified objectives and monitoring indicators. Even though there is not yet much hindsight on this, family groups such as Yves Rocher have taken the plunge. Their leaders are pioneers in this field and have taken a significant step forward in the history of their family businesses. In a few years’ time, we will be able to assess the effects of the application of this status on the durability of family businesses and on the success of the intergenerational transmission of these businesses.

The Boath House is a luxury country house, widely renowned for its style, quality and fine cuisine. This award winning house and gardens with café restaurant and shop is nestled on the Moray Firth coast in the majestic Scottish Highlands. This beautiful historic Regency House has been in the Matheson family since the early 1990’s. The house is set in 22 acres of stunning scenery with ornamental lake, streams, parkland and walled gardens. Paul Andrews spoke to Wendy Matheson to find out more. When was the business founded? We purchased the house as a derelict building in 1992 and partially opened in 1996. What does it do? We are a 9 bedroom boutique hotel with a Georgian dining Room and garden restaurant with a small curated gift shop. We have over 16 acres of gardens, woodland, lake and streams. We also run a small b&b business from our own home and I run a garden design business. Tell me a little about the history of the business? It took around 10 years to make money. We reinvested in the business every year and we have gained a reputation for fine dining and gained four rosettes and a Michelin star for 12 years. Predicting a change in customer demand for more casual dining and a business need to help pay for the upkeep of the gardens we built a garden restaurant in 2018. This has been extremely popular and helped with gaining a more local clientele which proved to be invaluable during the pandemic. Are there any other family members working in the business? One of our sons has been GM for the past 9 years but has taken a sabbatical to take a course for a year. Our daughter has been working for us throughout her teens and all through university. Our other son has been involved in various photographic projects for us. How important was the business in your life as you grew up? All the children have grown up living in the hotel and earning money working in the various departments, mostly gardening; waiting; KP and housekeeping. We built a new family home at the bottom of the grounds 7 years ago. The kids are now in their late 20’s and 30’s. What has helped your firm stand the test of time? We took this project on with passion and vision and are so happy that this has rubbed off on the next generation. What values are important to the family and the business? Integrity, honesty and hard work. Do you build the family ownership into the marketing and brand narrative and if so, how? Yes we do, we market ourselves as a family run business. What do you think makes working in a family business special? Total trust and dependability and you have control. The fact that family will go the extra mile when necessary. It’s also good for them to learn resilience and how to adapt when necessary too. Are there any disadvantages associated with working in a family business? Not a disadvantage as such but you do have to make sure that the rest of the team feel totally included and valued. What advice would you give to anyone in the next generation considering joining their family firm? Prepare to be 100% committed. If you could talk to your younger self before you joined the business, what would you say? All the sleepless nights and worry will be worth it! Don and I have two catch phrases we have used on numerous occasions: The first is “Let’s not and say we did “ which pertains to the day I asked him to turn the car around and have a look at the mansion house for sale written on a handmade board 30 years ago. The other is “Wendy, you have no idea how much work that is” which is what Don says every time I come up with another idea! Regrets? Perhaps to have made a little more time for the children when they were all younger. The younger children used to spend a lot of time either sat on a tractor with the groundsman or in the kitchen with the chef. They do seem to have good memories of it all though! If you could sum up the family business in three words, what would they be? Solidarity, Trust, Pride Find out more about this beautiful destination by visiting their website here

Lindores Abbey Distillery has been developed on a special site of historic interest. Perhaps the most important and historic event ever witnessed at Lindores Abbey was the meeting there in 1306 of three puissant knights, Sir Gilbert Hay of Errol, Sir Neil Campbell of Lochaw, and Sir Alexander Seton. It was at the Abbey that they undertook the sealing before the high altar of the vow they made to ”defend the King Robert Bruce and his crown to the last of their blood and fortunes.” These Knights were some of the Bruce’s staunchest friends and they were all well rewarded for their loyalty by the King when he took power. Lindores Abbey Distillery respectfully references the past in the way that it has been restored into the business that it has become today. Paul Andrews spoke to Drew McKenzie-Smith, founder and Managing Director to find out more. When was the business founded? The Lindores Distilling Co. Ltd was founded in 2013 (but there is a history of distilling here that dates back to 1494) What does it do? We are a Scotch whisky distillery with an historical visitor attraction and brand home. Tell me a little about the history of the business and the location itself? Lindores Abbey was founded in 1191 by David, Earl of Huntingdon and populated by Tironensian Monks from Thiron in France. The Abbey has a rich and varied history but most importantly it was what happened in 1494 that leads directly to where we are today. The Exchequer roll (the Royal accounts) of 1494 record ‘To Friar John Cor, VIII bolls of malt wherewith to make Aqua Vitae for the King’, this is the earliest written evidence of whisky production in Scotland and Friar John Cor was a monk of Lindores Abbey. We were totally unaware of this until 2001 when a chap knocked on the front door and asked my Father if he could take a walk around the Abbey ruins. This had never really happened before and my Father said to go ahead and thought no more of it. Then several months later a lovely hardback book called ‘Scotland and its whiskies’ arrived in the post and the author (Michael Jackson, the leading whisky writer of his day) had written on the inside, ‘Dear Ken, many thanks, turn to page 127.’ On that page was a lovely photograph of the Abbey and the chapter was entitled ‘For the whisky-lover it is a pilgrimage’ and then goes on to record him walking amongst the ruins saying a silent but happy prayer of thanks to Friar John Cor’, so that is what ignited my desire to celebrate that historic event in 1494 by establishing a distillery on the site of whisky’s birthplace. Are there any other family members working in the business? Currently there is myself, Helen (wife), elder daughter Poppy who does our PR, brother Robbie who helps Brother-in-Law Ross do the gardening and Ross’s wife Jane (my Sister) is our membership manager and her daughter (my niece) Charley is our bee keeper and waitress! How important is family to you and how is that incorporated into the business? Having sadly lost my Mother, Father and elder brother Grant my family is very important to me and we are very much a ‘family’ business and it means a lot to me that by starting the distillery we can keep the farm in the family for future generations. What was your journey into the family business and what is your role now? My personal ‘Lindores’ journey really began 20+ years ago with the arrival of the aforementioned book by Michael Jackson. I had always wanted to find a way to make Lindores pay and to learn you have the spiritual home of Scotch whisky in your back garden seemed too good an opportunity to pass up! However twenty years ago the whisky business wasn’t in a good place so seeking any kind of investment was an uphill struggle, plenty of enthusiasm, support and advice but no actual cash so after a couple of years trying I decided that I needed to get back to the day job, which back then was running luxury exclusive use properties with Helen where she was the boss and I was the chef but the dream of building a distillery never really left me. Then around seven years ago I took a phone call from an old friend in the industry who told me that new distilleries were popping up all over the place and in his (very qualified) opinion the one place there should be one was at Lindores, so after the call I thought ‘Carpe Diem and re-ignited the project and secured a £5K grant from Fife Business Gateway towards a £10K feasibility study. Fast forward and I am now the founder and MD of the Lindores Distilling Co sitting in my office looking out of the window at the state of the art Lindores Abbey whisky distillery! What have been the biggest challenges to date? There have been many hurdles, in fact straight after the phone call mentioned above I went online to check I still had the trademarks and I’d let ‘Lindores’ lapse so renewed it only to get a letter of objection from ‘Lindt’ who make the golden ‘Lindor’ chocolate bunnies. They objected that the two names were too similar and were both luxury products. I knew I couldn’t go head to head with a multinational so I went back to them saying that the Abbey was built by the brother of the King etc and after a lot of calls I managed to get them to withdraw their objection as long as I (legally) promised not to make chocolates with Lindores whisky in them, which was an easy promise to make. The build was relatively straightforward though we had to carry out a lot of archaeology which actually threw up some very interesting finds such as Abbey walls that hadn’t been seen for over 500 years and most importantly we uncovered what is believed to be an original whisky still, a clay bowl that has traces of carbon and barley, we’ve kept it (physically) under wraps whilst we work out how best to preserve it whilst also making it viewable to the public, a big challenge indeed. But by far the biggest challenges have been the dual effects of Covid (unavoidable) and Brexit (avoidable). We actually navigated our way through the former OK but Brexit has caused many issues and now the supply chains for glass, cardboard etc are having serious knock-on effects for us and the rest of the industry. What values are important to the family and the business? We treat our 40 staff members like family and we also have an extended membership of almost 1500 members that are part of the wider ‘Lindores’ community. I believe the most important thing is to treat people as you would like to be treated yourself so we like to think we are good employers with very high staff retention and glowing reviews in our visitors book which have resulted in our visitor centre being awarded 5 stars and given a tripadvisor travellers choice award, placing us in the top 10% of worldwide visitor attractions. Do you build the family ownership into the marketing and brand narrative and if so, how? Absolutely! Its one of the things that separates us from many of the larger distilleries. Our narrative is genuine in that my Great Grandfather bought the abbey and our tours are as much about the ‘story’ and the history as they are about actual whisky production. My name is on every bottle so its hard to avoid but also, very importantly, we set up the ‘Lindores Preservation Society’ whereby a percentage of proceeds from bottle sales goes in to the actual physical preservation of the Abbey ruins with a view to keeping them intact for future generations. What do you think makes working in a family business special? Helen and I have worked together for about twenty years and its been great. There may have been ‘moments’ along the way but its great to bounce ideas off each other and I do think we make a great team, the only downside is that sometimes it’s hard to switch off and talk about things other than the business! It does become all consuming and I think in the past the kids got fed up that every trip would include a trip to yet another distillery, all in the name of research! Are there any disadvantages associated with working in a family business? I think none thing is that it is harder to tell a family member off at work than it is for a normal employee as its more personal, I think for me that’s the only downside. Have you taken any particular steps in terms of governance to help protect the business for the future? Not in a legal sense just yet, we are thinking of succession planning though and there is a possibility our elder daughter may take up the reigns in a few years time but she’s happy in London just now and not quite ready for the bright lights of Newburgh! As a relatively new family business, what do you see for the business in the future? As a business we are still in the foothills with our first whisky only being released a few months ago. It has done extremely well and has garnered great reviews so we are doing something right. We are planning to build three more warehouses and we can up production from 250K litres per annum to around 400K with some capex and an increase in staffing levels and that’s the size I would like us to grow to, bigger than that and the whole place would change, that may happen one day and it would be great, but for me its very important to retain the integrity of a small family business. What advice would you give to anyone in the next generation considering starting a family firm? If you feel it can work for you and your family then I would go for it. There are so many advantages BUT as I mentioned earlier there is sometimes an issue that sometimes there will be fall outs, as there is in any business, and you must keep business and your family life separate as I have heard of some monumental fall outs that affect both the company and the wider family. If you could talk to your younger self before you joined the business, what would you say? I would say that ‘Everything will be ok.’ Whilst I had a career in hospitality I did drift through my twenties so possibly the distillery project was always meant to happen, it certainly gave me the focus I needed to follow my dream. If you could sum up the family business in three words, what would they be? Work and Play! Find out more by visiting their website here

Hoggs of Fife first began making hand welted country footwear in 1888 in Strathmiglo, Fife and have gradually built an excellent reputation across the Fieldsports and Farming fraternity for producing good quality, hard wearing products that can withstand the elements and be comfortable and hard wearing throughout the working day. Still owned and managed by the Hogg family and based within the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, Hoggs of Fife remain true to their craftsman founder, offering hand-made leather footwear today as well as handmade rubber boots and a complete offer of quality country clothing and accessories to provide comfort, style and protection from the elements to today’s Country enthusiasts. During our recent Scottish Family Business Road Trip which saw us in Fife, it would have been remiss not to pop in to visit their two strong family businesses. So after our recent feature on the 134 year old Hoggs of Fife brand it was good to take the opportunity to take a look at the two ‘Fife Country’ retail shops, while we were in the area. Our first visit was to their historic building in Strathmiglo. This is the same site from which Mr Hogg sold his first pair of ‘Fife Farm Boots’ from, back in 1888. It’s incredible to think that the business has thrived from this historic location throughout 134 years, albeit in different guises. It does help to explain the Aladdin’s Cave nature of the store layout, though as the retail space has expanded over the years. It was also great to see the historical reference point to the brand that has grown so successfully and also to see loyalty to other family business brands that were on sale too. Our second destination was equally as impressive and very much a new site for this fascinating family business. Fife Country have just opened a concession in the lovely Caulders Garden Centre, in Cupar and what an impressive space it is. Neatly laid out and integral to the garden centre is an impressive, more uniform space in contrast to the eclectic nature of its sister store. Fife Country Cupar has an excellent range of outdoor and lifestyle products that are very well presented and in truth, its difficult to resist temptation because of the excellent range on offer. Family values remain at the heart of the business which continues to focus on delivering quality products and value for money. The business continues to innovate, introducing new ranges to appeal to a growing audience with strong heritage links too. Loyalty is evident with plenty of employees who have been around for many years and there is an eye on the future too. The outlet in the garden centre is a new experience and one that may well be rolled out more broadly going forward. A family business with a real nod to the past but recognising the need for continued evolution, innovation and an eye on the future too.

The UPAC Group is Scotland’s largest independent packaging supplier with facilities in Glasgow, East Kilbride and Broxburn. They offer the only single source supply of all your packaging needs in Scotland and certainly have your packaging needs all sorted. Paul Andrews spoke to owner Chris Kelly to find out more. The UPAC Group has a history spanning over 50 years within the packaging industry and over the years has acquired key businesses and built on long standing relationships to transform the business into the largest packaging supplier in Scotland. As Chris explains “the business has developed to meet market demands and is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our customers. We have invested in the business in order to create a one-stop shop for packaging whereby we cover the entire packaging supply process from concept to final product delivery.” “As a collective, we offer the best solution for our clients’ box packaging needs, with access to specialist machinery in the manufacture of corrugated boxes, solid board cartons, lithographic laminate boxes, polythene products, labels and a distribution arm to ensure unrivalled packaging services,” continues Chris. “In addition, our full in-house design team is ready to work side by side with our clients to create solutions exclusive to their specific business requirements,” he adds. With 180,000 square foot of storage and a fleet of vehicles at their disposal, The UPAC Group is well placed to make sure products are always available when they are needed most. The size and scale of the business, means that the group have an infrastructure and buying power which allows them to offer the best options available in the market. This is a family business with a mission to become the pre-eminent packaging supplier in Scotland, rivalling the very largest companies across the UK. For Chris and the team, this aim is best served by remaining largely focused on the wholesaling side of the business, with a small number of specific, but important, manufacturing exceptions such as litho-printed carton manufacturing and litho-laminated carton manufacturing and labels manufacturing. As Chris continues, “Adopting this structure as both a wholesaler and manufacturer is quite unique, but it is enormously valuable as it means the company carry a huge volume of stock and achieve pricing that cannot be matched elsewhere. Ultimately, we are utterly determined to drive exceptional customer service and to consolidate our position in the marketplace through exceptional customer service.” The business continues to invest and innovative solutions are never far away. To meet the changing market demand, they have recently launched a new division, We-Pac. A Chris continues, “We saw an opportunity and We-Pac was launched as a result. With the profound effect Covid-19 has had on many businesses, from lockdown to mass furloughing, more and more companies have sought to outsource their packaging needs as they seek to manage reduced workloads, premises or staffing levels.” “We have been increasingly asked by our customer base for assistance both in stockholding and fulfilment. This new division effectively just crystalises the work we are already doing into something more structured and should result in both new jobs and opportunities at a time where our customers need support.” “The new division will operate out of our substantial site in Cardonald and is another positive step in the evolution of The UPAC Group as we seek to adapt to the ever-changing economic market conditions.” The UPAC Group is collective of family-owned packaging manufacturers and suppliers throughout Scotland consisting of WM Watson Packaging, Scotia Surplus Boxes, U-label-It, Merlin Healthcare Packaging & UPAC Cartons. It is constantly striving to improve the customer experience and looking at new ways to add value and with the drive, determination and entrepreneurial spirit leading constant evolution and innovation, this is a business that certainly appears to have things all boxed up! Find out more at www.upac.co.uk

Tilney, Smith & Williamson and Family Business United were pleased to present this webinar where we explore the idea of legacy in lifetime. The panel discussion was hosted by Founder and CEO of Family Business United, Paul Andrews who is joined by: PwC Private Business Woman of the Year, Jacqueline O’Donovan Managing Director of O’Donovan Waste Disposal; Mairi Mickel, SME Family Business Expert, Founder of Business Families and former Board member of Mactaggart & Mickel. Mike Wardlaw, Adviser, Tilney, Smith & Williamson In addition to sharing their individual stories of family business, we examine themes of legacy and creating a sustainable model for the future and how legacy can be influenced and created during a lifetime. Create the legacy you want to be remembered for.

The latest survey from Family Business United has identified the key challenges that are being addressed by family business leaders in board rooms up and down the country. The past year has continued to present plenty of challenges to family business owners throughout the UK and despite their response it is still a difficult environment for many, with prevailing uncertainty adding to the burden. We wanted to get a picture of the issues that are facing family businesses to highlight the complex agenda that is being addressed. The results are in and whilst some of the key challenges are not surprising, there are some challenges that are seen as more important than may have been expected. The 2021 Family Business Survey not only sought to look at the key issues that are keeping family business owners awake at night but also looked at some specific areas in more detail: sustainability, recruitment, hybrid working, investment and being a family business during the pandemic. The Top Challenges Facing UK Family Businesses Today: The economic climate (53%) Recruiting, retaining and motivating staff (51%) Rising costs of labour and raw materials (47%) Supply chain disruption (42%) Regulation, red tape and legislation (39%) Challenges associated with Brexit (36%) Environmental issues (30%) Sustainability and the road to net zero (30%) Cyber security (28%) Marketing, PR and social media (23%) Domestic competition (23%) Profitability and sustainability of the business (21%) As Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United explains, “These results give us a broad indication of the challenges being faced by family business owners as the pandemic continues to have an impact. It is well documented that the past year or so has been incredibly challenging, even for those family firms that have continued to operate throughout, and the boardroom agenda is packed with challenges that do need to be addressed.” “Along with the ongoing issues associated with the economic climate, Brexit and the pandemic there are specific issues coming to the fore around supply chains, rising costs of raw materials and labour and in some cases labour shortages.” “Family firms have shown their resilience and entrepreneurship over the last year or so and continue to be innovative in their business decisions but it is clear that there are concerns. Cash is, and always will be king, and with the need to repay loans, deferred rates and tax bills, and the return to work for more employees, it is clear that there are longer term concerns around profitability and sustainability.” “Much talk is going on around climate change and the environment and these issues are on the agenda, which is great to see, and we are also seeing more active consideration on business practices and changes that can be made to make a real difference too.” “Clearly people are important to the family business and in many ways the workforce are looked upon as the extension of the family but plenty of people issues are on the agenda around the UK. Businesses have spent a lot of time and effort engaging with staff, communicating with them and managing new ways of working but as restrictions ease and the numbers returning to the office rise, challenges around safety in the office, balancing working from home and in the office, hybrid solutions and continued engagement with the workforce are high on the list of things to address.” “Looking to the longer term, businesses are also investing for the future with many focusing on strengthening management and the board so that the business has the best people on board to drive the business as they build forward. Within the family, identifying and developing future leaders as part of the succession planning process still needs to be done. During the pandemic, many senior family members have got more involved in the business and not stepped back as previously planned, and these plans need to be revisited by some firms too and new plans/timetables put in place for a smooth transition to the next generation.” “However, speaking to many leaders from multi-generational family firms it is clear that history is helping as they have had to deal with significant challenges in the past, and as many see themselves as custodians of the business for future generations, it is great to hear them talk positively and optimistically about the future too with many believing that being a family business has helped over the past year or so and with aligned purpose and values, will undoubtedly help going forward. It is not going to be easy and there are inevitably challenges ahead, but the agenda is set and there is an incredibly positivity and resilience to survive and thrive as family businesses look to the future and address their own family business agenda, one step at a time,” concludes Paul. As Lyn Calder, Edinburgh Managing Partner & Head of Family Businesses at Anderson Anderson & Brown, sponsors of the 2021 Family Business Survey adds, “Family businesses are the engine room of the national economy supporting the nation through the provision of jobs, generation of income and wealth creation. They are also significantly involved in the place in which they do business and are a real force for good in communities the length and breadth of the UK” As Lyn concludes, “Many family firms across the UK have faced significant challenges before, especially those that have passed down for many generations and undoubtedly will continue to do so. The business environment is changing, and will continue to change as firms seek to embrace their responsibilities on their sustainability journey, but they will continue to react, adapt and embrace change to meet the challenges they face and to continue to be a force for good and make a significant contribution to the recovery of the nation. The survey clearly identifies the challenges faced by business owners around the UK and helps people appreciate that they are not alone in facing these challenges and it is great to be able to further understand the concerns of this rich, vibrant and diverse sector of the economy.” Download and read the full report below:

Mackie’s of Scotland is a fourth generation family business who have been farming at Westertown Farm in Aberdeenshire since 1912. Initially specialising in milk production for the majority of the 20th century; the family business evolved into making ice cream in 1986 and the farm now use the fresh milk from their own dairy herd to make real dairy ice cream. The company is currently run by three siblings; Managing Director, Mac Mackie with his sisters Marketing Director, Karin Hayhow, and Development Director, Kirstin Mcnutt. Mackie’s employ around 90 members of staff – including many other family groups working together within the business. Mackie’s of Scotland has become one of Scotland’s most iconic brands – listed in the top 10 Scottish food and drink brands. Proudly known as Scotland’s number one ice cream, it is also firmly established as one of the top five take-home ice creams in the UK. With the Traditional and Honeycomb flavours being all-time favourites in every Scottish family, Mackie’s ice cream is now available in all major supermarkets across the UK and is exported worldwide with sales of more than £2m in Asia alone. In 2009 Mackie’s diversified its business in a joint venture with the Taylor family, renowned potato farmers in Perthshire to make crisps and popcorn which are now available in over 25 countries with more than 20 different flavours. In 2014 the company expanded once more to create a chocolate factory on the farm – the range of chocolate bars include: Traditional, Honeycomb, Orange, Mint and Dark Chocolate are available in a number of UK supermarkets as well as Mackie’s new online store. The company also makes packaged ice, ingredients like honeycomb and sauces. Mackie’s also has its own parlour in Aberdeen, named 19.2, where it can offer a huge range of flavours and interact with its clients for immediate feedback on new products. The parlour was opened in 2017 and was named 19.2 to represent the number of miles it is from the family farm in Westertown. Mackie’s recently revealed its biggest rebrand in 30 years which includes new packaging and a new website, focussing on the company’s family farming heritage and its product’s ‘dairy difference’. The brand is an innovative thinker when thinking about its carbon footprint and eco-credentials. Its ‘sky to scoop’ ethos sees the brand create everything, from dairy products from its own herd to its packaging, as well as other ingredients on site. Renewable energy is a cornerstone of Mackie’s environmental policy and the climate positive company aims to become 100% self-sufficient in renewable energy. This year a £4.5m project is underway to install a low carbon refrigeration unit, adding to the on-site renewable energy production mix that includes four wind turbines, a bio-mass energy plant and 10 acre solar farm. It was great to be able to visit their Ice Cream Parlour in the centre of Aberdeen as part of the 2021 Scottish Family Business Road Trip and we have to say, the ice cream was unbelievably good!!

Succession planning is often cited as one of the key challenges facing family firms. In many cases it is the elephant in the room and simply not a topic that is discussed. In this session we will take a look at the issues around succession planning, consider some of the options available and explore ways to bring the topic of conversation to the table. Succession may be associated with difficult conversations but it doesn’t have to be like that. This session is being presented by Darryl Bates-Brownsword who is a UK Partner of Succession Plus, specialists in providing proactive, focused and strategic advice for SME owners to manage strategic Business Succession and Exit Planning. It provides a fresh perspective on succession and exit planning with a framework for engaging in the right conversations. Darryl is a dynamic, driven Business Mentor and Coach with over 20 years of experience and passion for creating successful outcomes for founder-led businesses. He is a great connector, team builder, problem solver, and inspirer — showing the way through complexity to simplicity. He has built 2 international multi-million turnover businesses; one now operating in 16 countries. His quick and analytical approach cuts through to the core issues quickly and identifying the context. He challenges the status quo and gets consistent, repeatable and reliable business results. Originating in Australia, Darryl’s first career was as an Engineer in the Power Industry. Building businesses bought him to the UK in 2005 where he quickly developed a reputation for combining systems thinking with great creativity to get results in challenging situations.

Managing a team of people comes with a new level of responsibilities. But have you ever considered the vast difference between being a manager and a leader? Harvard Business Review reports that 30 is the average age of a first-time manager while 40 is the age where people first embark on leadership training. This is a decade of lost years of building leadership skills – this can lead to ingraining bad habits and not practising to improve your style. Being a manager doesn’t automatically make you a leader. The main difference between a manager and a leader is that managers delegate tasks to those who work for them whereas leaders have people follow them and believe in what they’re setting out for the company. The best part of the last year has demonstrated that leaders need to be prepared and agile to respond to protect their business and employees. With this in mind, Impact has created an insight into the ways that managers can evolve and develop their skills to be leaders. It looks at aspects of leadership from the importance of communication skills, to earning respect from your employees to help emphasise that leaders have an opportunity to encourage and inspire their workers. Here, we will take a look at the four ways that managers can transform themselves into leaders. Respect Goes Two Ways Firstly, and most importantly, be respectable. Respect should be earned, not expected – no employee is going to consider a manager their leader if they don’t respect them. There are a number of things you should consider in order to gain your employees’ respect. After all, if they respect you, they’re likely to work harder for you, cooperate more with others, be more creative, resilient, and likely to take direction. These include: Leading by example. Be prepared to pick up tasks big and small, for example making your own cup of coffee or printing copies out to hand out to the workforce. Listen to your team. Open the floor for others to speak and allow them to voice their opinions on how to improve things. Holding steady team meetings opens up a dialogue of feedback and ideas. Follow through on deadlines and agreements. If you can’t meet your own deadlines, why should your team? If you offer to help someone on a particular project, honour that promise. Accept responsibility if things don’t work out. Communication is key Never underestimate the power of communication. Managers with poor communication skills often alienate their workers, leaving the team confused and with little faith that things are being run properly. Take time to communicate your ideas, expectations, strategies, and everything in between, making everyone else feel involved in what’s going on. You can do this by thinking of any strategy the same as telling a story to someone who knows nothing about it. You can focus on things you don’t know or what you need to understand yourself in order to relay it others. By involving your team and keeping them engaged, this will also allow successful executions and a happy, motivated team – you can’t expect a strategy to work if it isn’t understood and nobody is committed. Shape Company Culture Leaders should contribute to an active company culture. If workers’ characteristics don’t fit into the culture, this could influence their decision to leave. By defining a culture early on and recruiting those who fit into the talent pool, employees will feel comfortable which will have a positive effect on their performance. Harvard Business carried out research to find out which qualities are most important in leaders. 700 workers were asked which qualities they value the most – 70 per cent agreed that creating a culture of engagement is a very important attribute and results in lower turnover rates, more productivity, and more profitability. This reiterates what was mentioned in the first section – leaders must lead by example. They can determine how valued traits are within the business, for example, communication, integrity, and commitment. Employees who work in an engaging culture with their leader will have positive opinions about the company and will be strong advocates. Leadership Training Programmes Go over and beyond for your team and consider enrolling on leadership training programs. which are designed to guide leaders through key issues and how to effectively adopt forward-thinking strategies. Organisations are constantly evolving in the modern world, therefore so does the nature of leading. Building on agile and reactive skills can help you become a capable and inspiring leader. Leaders certainly have a big responsibility to inspire and encourage their workers – so it is important to do it properly.

Isle of Skye Sea Salt is a multi award-winning, natural sea salt made entirely from the mineral-rich sea waters of Loch Snizort on the Isle of Skye where they use just the sun and wind to transform it into pure sea salt crystals that have a distinct texture and flavour. The business was founded in 2011 and Paul Andrews spoke to Co-Founder, Meena Watts, to find out more. Tell me a little about the history of the business? The idea of sea salt came up when glancing at the loch in front of our house and Chris had a Eureka moment ‘Sea Salt. All the natural raw materials in front of us.’ We had worked in ‘sustainable’ led projects for numerous years. This was in line with our beliefs to care for and leave a better world for future generations. We wanted to create a business which from the outset was eco friendly from loch to larder. This was central to our ethos. We did not want to pay lip service to our values. Two years of research was conducted by Chris using his extensive experience in sustainable design to develop a solar evaporation process that would have minimal impact on the environment. Until recently, The Isle of Skye Sea Salt Company was the only UK Company to use a natural process using only the sun and wind to evaporate the water to produce the sea salt crystals. We began winning awards within 2 years of production and have been adding to the collection ever since. What generation are you and what are your first memories of the family business? We are the first generation. It was exciting to use our professional skills to create a product which intertwined with our beliefs. There was no text book to follow. This was a bonus as we developed a sustainable process throughout the whole production. How important is the business to you? We were already grown up when we started the business so were committed when we set it up. It has been a passion from day one. What was your journey into the family business? We are still running the business. We had a vision. We made it happen. The journey has been exciting, scary at times, but our joint skills have always helped us to move forward in the right direction. What values are important to the family and the business? Everything about this business is sustainable from Loch to larder. We have created a pure, raw unrefined sea salt with a distinct robust flavour and a ‘sweet’ finish which is loved by consumers, chefs and retailers. Do you build the family ownership into the marketing and brand narrative and if so, how? Yes. We ‘talk’ about our values underlying the production of our sea salt. It is important to us and a key reason why we went ahead with this idea. What do you think makes working in a family business special? We compliment and respect each others skills. We share the joys and worrying moments. Are there any disadvantages associated with working in a family business? It can be challenging to achieve a sensible work/life balance partly because of passion for our product. Have you taken any particular steps in terms of governance to help protect the business for the future? Yes, we are preparing plans for future ownership. Is there a next generation in the wings? No. However, we will be leaving a legacy behind for others to follow. What advice would you give to anyone in the next generation considering joining their family firm? Create something you believe in and work hard, at every level, to make it happen. If you could talk to your younger self before you joined the business, what would you say? Every success moment is a ‘yeeha’ moment. Every step back is a learning moment. If you could sum up the family business in three words, what would they be? Sustainable, durable, legacy. Find out more by visiting their website here

Every family business starts out with a plan and it is always great to find new family firms with an entrepreneurial story that has grown into something special. Paul Andrews spoke to Deepesh Vishaldeep, the second generation now working in this retail family business to find out more. When was the business founded? The business began in the 1970’s in the garment manufacturing trade. My parents used to make clothes for larger retailers such as BHS and C&A. What does it do? We started off in women’s fashion clothes and to this day we still have a retail shop in East London which we opened in the early 90’s. This was started by both of my parents and my brother and I joined in and around 2004. since joining the business has expanded into different sectors although the business remains family owned. Today we operate from 4 different retail shops (all on the same road and few doors apart). Each shop has a different purpose – a Womens Fashion Store, a Gift Shop, a Cookware Shop and a shop specialising in Indian spices. We also operate an ecommerce business selling cookware items and a newly established digital marketing business too. What generation are you and what are your first memories of the family business? I am one of the second generation, and the first memories of the family business would be helping my parents at our garment factory in Whitechapel when I was around 10 years old – I remember watching my parents work hard, seven days a week. Are there any other family members working in the business? Yes, there are four of us – my Mum, Dad, brother and myself. How important was the business in your life as you grew up? Growing up the family business was our life, and it still is, although we as a family have been able to take time away from the business as we’ve grown. However, the importance of working around the business has always been there, it’s like our forever little baby and because it is family owned, we are in charge of the day to day operations. We do have staff too but the business isn’t ever left only to our staff as we have been serving the community for many years and our customers have been a major part of our history and it is the personalised service from us as a family that has made, and continues to make a difference. What was your journey into the family business and what do you do now? I graduated in 2004 with a 1st class BA Honours degree and whilst I was studying at university I also worked at Currys (Dixons group). I worked there for almost 7 years, started working in the warehouse, taking deliveries in etc, then worked my way up to a salesman on the shop floor. I did really well selling and was quickly promoted to senior sales, then department manager and then became a trainee store manager. When I graduated from university I wanted to join the family business with plans to help it to expand. There was a shop vacant a few doors away from my parents, and with the help of mum and dad we acquired a 40-year-old running gift shop. I started my own business from there. 7 years into the business we needed more space, so we bought retail space down the road totalling approx. 4000spft whilst the other two shops continued trading. As a second generation business, what has helped your firm stand the test of time? I think it is definitely down to financial and moral support from our parents, their experience and guidance that has been the backbone of our business. We are all in it together, be it in our own departments but we are able to support each other when needed. What values are important to the family and the business? Honesty in dealing with suppliers and customers, hard work and no ‘get rich quick’ tactics! My parents still add value, be it old school values but these are important and probably will be passed on to the next generation. Do you build the family ownership into the marketing and brand narrative and if so, how? Not intentionally but being around for decades and dealing with the same customers and their next generations, the family ownership is definitely why people come to us, they’ve known us and come back for that reason. What do you think makes working in a family business special? It can be special but it doesn’t work for everyone. Luckily it has been special for us, we have grown and continue to grow the family business and are fortunate to have parents that are on the same wavelength. Thankfully disagreements are very rare, and it gives us time together as a family during the day. Are there any disadvantages associated with working in a family business? As mentioned above, disagreements can be a disadvantage and work pressure can be taken home but luckily our disagreements are minimal, and we try not to discuss work at home. Have you taken any particular steps in terms of governance to help protect the business for the future? We have been moving with the times and have had a web presence for the last 12 years. We were one of the first businesses to supply Ebay and Amazon with daily deals. We have our own brand of cookware products under Ignite Cookware so we have taken steps to make sure the business will still be standing for the next generation – if they choose to continue it. Our focus remains on the online side and during the lockdown’s growth was 12 fold on the online side and it was exciting to see the potential – I even completed my professional diploma in digital marketing to help me understand the marketing side of the online business. I continue to implement this and have seen some great results. I have also set up my own digital marketing business to help others grow online. I am also a part of Digital Boost (a charity) where I help people with a 1hr free consultation on the areas they need help in within digital marketing. Is there a next generation in the wings? There is but my son is only 4 so who knows what the future will bring! What advice would you give to anyone in the next generation considering joining their family firm? Be in it for the long run, keep work life and family life separate and most importantly listen to the more senior members – it doesn’t mean they are always right but there is always an in-between! If you could talk to your younger self before you joined the business, what would you say? Should have gone on a world tour before or taken a year out after graduating! I am happy with every aspect of my life within the family business, we can say it was destiny and it was always going to be different to working for someone. My younger self saw the family business as routine, saw my parents work long hours and long days without a break, that was the norm then but luckily today we are able to spend time away from the business. If you could sum up the family business in three words, what would they be? Vibrant, Futureproof, Hard work. Find out more by visiting www.ignitecookware.com